Fifty jobless people are expected to set up a business thanks to the Government's New Deal programme.

A total of 170 Bradford young people, aged 18 to 24, who have been jobless for more than six months, have been earmarked as people who have opted for self-employment under the programme.

The Bradford-based Morrison Trust, set up by Morrisons supermarket boss Ken Morrison ten years ago, has won a contract from the Employment Service to run the Self Employment part of the New Deal programme.

They have already been assessed by the Employment Service which will pass their details on to the Idle-based training organisation in the hope that many of them will run small firms.

The other New Deal options include finding a job through work experience, joining the Environmental Task Force, doing work in the voluntary sector or go into full-time education.

A total of 3,500 young people from the Bradford district are expected to benefit from New Deal in a local partnership between the Employment Service, Bradford & District Training & Enterprise Council and Bradford Council.

Tony Holdich, who heads up the Morrison Trust at the Enterprise Five retail park, said that about 60 of the young people earmarked as going for the self-employment option were expected to go through one of the training organisation's Business Planning Programmes.

The Morrison Trust will put them through a five-week course which they will attend two days a week.

"Out of those about ten are expected to find themselves a job and the remaining 50 should go ahead and set up a business of their own," he added.

Each person setting up a business will be given six to 12 months support.

The Morrison Trust will even be responsible for counter-signing the new firms' cheques because the young people will still be claiming benefit.

The trust won the contract from the TEC against competition from other organisations.

Mr Holdich added: "We will give people coming on this course all the help we can to start a business. We also have good links with banks and experts who can also give additional assistance."

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